


Anglerfish

by NanakiBH



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Behind the Scenes, Canon Compliant, Deja Vu, Gen, Hidden Depths, Mild Language, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:34:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27309259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NanakiBH/pseuds/NanakiBH
Summary: In the darkest depths of the ocean, there are strange creatures that produce their own light to attract unsuspecting prey.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	Anglerfish

**Author's Note:**

> This is my contribution to the [KH Bad End project](https://twitter.com/khbadend) on Twitter~
> 
> Takes place during Sora's first trip to Olympus. But we're not focusing on Sora. We're thinking about what Demyx was up to while he was always five steps ahead of him. The real challenge of this fic was trying to keep track of everyone. I think I did it... If I didn't, we'll pretend like I did. lol
> 
> I've always been mystified by the fact that Phil chased after Demyx because he thought he could be Herc's backup. And then Demyx "turned on him." Makes me do a big think.
> 
> Oh, and Happy Halloween~! 🎃

Olympus and the Underworld were really more like two worlds than one, Demyx thought.

When he made it back up to the realm of the gods, he had to take a minute to let his eyes adjust to the overwhelming brightness of the sun. It wasn't pleasant, but at least it was better than the heck he went through down in the Underworld... Did Xemnas really think he could turn Hades into a Heartless all by himself?!

Hm. Well...

Like, he wasn't totally off-base with that thought, probably.

Something told him that he really probably could've done it if he'd just applied himself and used his brain a little harder, but... That sounded strenuous. Just thinking about going back to fight that guy made him feel tired.

Sitting himself down in the shade of one of the Coliseum's absurd statues, Demyx reached into his pocket and pulled out a note. When he was on his way out of the Castle, Xigbar had grabbed him by the elbow and shoved a couple folded pieces of paper in there – 'just in case,' he said. Demyx was a little annoyed that he thought he'd need reminders to keep him on task, but... He couldn't say it was unappreciated.

“Xiggy knows me so well~” He laughed to himself as he unfolded the note.

Xigbar was the only one who didn't patronize him. If there was something he thought he would need help with, he just helped him, simple as that. If Saïx had been the one who gave him the notes, Demyx was sure that he wouldn't have been able to receive them without also receiving some sort of smart comment about his motivation or his intelligence.

Xigbar had very neat handwriting... Or maybe he just wrote the notes very carefully so he wouldn't have trouble reading them? Very considerate of him~

According to the note, he needed to find something called the 'Olympus Stone' if he wanted to fight in the Underworld.

“Riiiight... Ugh, I should've come up here first to get that stone. Duh.” He remembered Xigbar telling him about that, but it totally slipped his mind. No wonder he couldn't use his water against Hades! And he'd even waltzed in there like he owned the place, thinking he'd have no problem... He just made himself look like an idiot! How lame.

On the bright side, that probably meant that Hades would underestimate him the next time he saw him. All's well that ends well, right? Sure. Something like that.

When he realized that his magic wasn't working, he tried smacking Hades with his sitar. A lotta good _that_ did... Hades seemed too surprised to even react at first, but when he did, the whole room practically went up in flames.

At least he was good at running away. Hadn't failed him yet. There wasn't any shame in retreating if it meant staying alive and having the opportunity to come up with a better strategy for next time. If only the rest of the Organization understood that...

Heh. Well, if they had, half of them probably wouldn't have been dead.

Seriously, what made them think that _he_ was the stupid one? Their whole operation seemed idiotic. Wasn't an Organization supposed to be more... _organized?_ And yet, like, nobody was ever working together! What was the point of gathering them together as an organization if they were going to be sent off to work individually?

Xemnas should've let Xigbar come with him. Then he wouldn't have even needed notes to remind him of anything. Xiggy would've helped him get the Olympus Stone and Hades probably would've been a Heartless already!

It was like Xemnas had something against efficiency.

But whatever. He was the idiot, right?

The whole promise of reclaiming their hearts... The goal and purpose of the Organization...

Demyx had his doubts about whether any of it was true. There was a lot he didn't understand. He just wanted to close his eyes and let it all pass...

Couldn't he...?

The world wouldn't end if he decided to just lay there, would it...?

What was the worst that would happen? Would the others think he was a deserter and try to hunt him down like they had with Roxas? Unlikely. He wasn't that important. And even if they tried, he knew that he could escape them – running away was one of the few things he was really good at.

“Roxas...”

Xemnas made it sound like he'd been taken over by someone else.

If Roxas was no longer in control of himself, then...

“Guess this is just one of those things I have to do,” Demyx muttered to himself.

He folded the note and tucked it back into his pocket. It was just a piece of paper – Xiggy probably would've thought he was silly – but it was kind of special to him. It represented the first and only person in the Organization he wouldn't have minded calling a friend.

But it was just a piece of paper. If he lost it, he wouldn't have cried about it.

The note didn't offer any further information regarding the Olympus Stone. It would've been even kinder of Xigbar if he'd given him a hint about where he could find such a thing. If it was capable of nullifying the Underworld's curse, then it probably wasn't any ordinary object. The average person wouldn't have been in possession of one. The only people taking trips to the Underworld were gods, probably.

With that in mind, Demyx began his search around the Coliseum.

The hero, Hercules, seemed to be busy with some distractions from Hades. There were people packing the Coliseum seats, but they were all mesmerized by Hercules' match against the enormous monster. Little did Hades know, he'd unintentionally done him a favor.

Since Hercules was like Hades' arch-nemesis or whatever, Demyx figured he must've had an Olympus Stone of his own.

He had to laugh. He didn't blend in with the atmosphere at all, but he was able to move about without anyone's notice.

He waltzed in through the entrance and casually made his way down one of the corridors after checking that the coast was clear. On his way down, he found a room that looked like an area where Coliseum challengers could get prepared before their matches – a locker room of sorts. The smell was almost enough to deter him from entering, but he knew that there was a good chance that he'd find what he was looking for there, so he took a deep breath in the hall, then went inside.

“Let's see...”

The place was a mess, worse than his room at the Castle. Everywhere he looked, he saw something he didn't want to touch. At least he was wearing gloves.

There was a wall with nooks where participants could store their things. There couldn't be any challengers while Hercules was occupying the Coliseum with a match, so most of the compartments were vacant. That gave Demyx fewer places to search, but it almost made him feel like he had lower odds of success. If it turned out to be a waste of time, he decided that he was going to steal something random out of spite.

Unfortunately for Hercules, it didn't take long before Demyx found the Olympus Stone hidden underneath some dirty clothes in one of the compartments.

“Seriously? It was that predictable? Is that Hercules not very bright or something?” He shrugged. “Whatever. Finders, keepers.”

Aaand the stone went into his pocket.

“Just you wait, Hades. I'm gonna douse that fire on your stupid head!”

“Hey, what do you think you're doing?!”

Damn his stupid mouth, never knowing when to shut up...

There was a guy around his age standing in the doorway. He was dressed like a resident of that world, but his outrageously spiky, black hair made Demyx think he would've looked more at home in the Organization. Down the hall, he could hear the echo of cheers from inside the Coliseum – Hercules must have just finished his match. People were going to be leaving their seats. And that guy was in his way.

There was an unusual glow in his eyes, but they looked so clear. Without a shred of doubt, they saw that Demyx was up to no good.

Still, even if the odds of success were low, bullshitting him was worth a try...

“I left something here the other day. I was, uh, just coming to pick it up? Yeah, that's it~”

“Is that so?” The guy reached for the sword on his back. “I'm here all the time. But I don't recognize you. How about you give back whatever you just stole?”

“You know, it's kinda unfair to fight someone who's unarmed,” Demyx muttered, staring at the sharp edge of the sword that was pointed at his face. If only he had a sword of his own or something.

Until he had no other options, he wanted to avoid fighting...

The guy grinned. “Heh. Should've thought about the consequences before you decided to take something that didn't belong to you.”

His grin disappeared as he thrust toward Demyx. Instinctively, Demyx ducked out of the way with a cry and slipped toward the other side of the room. The door was right within his reach. He almost couldn't believe how easily he'd managed to avoid him – his body just moved without thinking.

“Holy smokes, you're fast! I'm willing to drop the charges if you return what you stole and become a trainee. Nobody even has to find out what you did.”

“Trainee? Sorry, but I don't enjoy strenuous activity.” Demyx snapped his fingers and pointed toward the rude, spiky-headed man. His Nobodies arose from nothing and quickly assembled in front of him, forming a line of defense. “Here's your new dance partner, ladies. How 'bout you give him a spin~?”

That guy was a confident one if he thought that a weak offer like that would have been enough to convince him to surrender. His sword may have been big, but Demyx didn't feel like he'd been trapped in a corner he couldn't escape from yet. Until he reached that point, he had no reason to comply.

The swordsman wasn't just some trainee, though, that was for sure. As soon as the Dancers approached him, he showed no hesitation, taking a broad swipe at them with his oversized sword. They didn't try to evade his swing, boldly lunging toward him. When his sword passed right through them, he clumsily stumbled forward and they seized him by his wrists.

“Huh? I can't hit them?”

They dragged him across the room, gracefully twirling him around with them before powerfully flinging him, sword and all, toward the wall. He crashed into the storage compartments and collapsed into an awkward heap on the floor, groaning in pain as a shower of random items from the compartments rained down on him.

Demyx was always impressed by how strong the Dancers were. In most scenarios, it was more efficient to command them to attack on his behalf. He found that he rather enjoyed having subordinates who listened to his orders.

He laughed as he stepped toward the guy laying on the ground. As he struggled to get back up, Demyx crushed his heel into the center of his back, making him cry out and sink back to the floor. The Dancers rushed to secure his arms to ensure that he couldn't reach for his sword.

“Time for you to take a nap.”

Grabbing a fistful of his hair, Demyx pulled his head back, then slammed his forehead into the ground. When he pulled his head back again, he could see that his eyes looked blurry and dazed, but he hadn't lost consciousness yet. Ugh...

With a sigh, Demyx smashed his head into the ground a few more times until he was sure that he was knocked out.

He didn't enjoy having to do that... He just didn't want him to follow him or alert anyone. It was troublesome enough that their encounter had caused so much noise.

As he stood up and neatened his coat, the Dancers obediently lined up in front of him.

“Good work,” he said with a smile. “Dismissed.”

That also took longer than he would've liked. He'd planned to get in and out while the Coliseum was still occupied, but the match had ended and it sounded like most of the spectators had already left. As Demyx was about to look out into the corridor, a few people passed by the room – and thankfully didn't look inside. He quickly grabbed the guy under his arms and dragged his heavy, comatose body to the corner beside the door where no one would be able to readily see him from the hallway. He nudged a large, clay pot next to him to further obscure him, just in case.

There was a nasty patch of red on the ground where he'd smashed the guy's head. Blood was running down his face. ...Was he going to be okay?

Demyx shrugged.

“Should've thought about the consequences before you decided to engage someone who hadn't consented to a fight,” he said coldly. “Did you think you had a right to win just because you're some kind of hero? Tch.”

He put his hand in his pocket.

Good. He still had the Olympus Stone.

When the corridor was clear, Demyx snuck out and made a break for the entrance. As long as he made it back to the Underworld without being caught again, he wouldn't have to worry about how long he had until someone discovered the unconscious person in the side room. His worst nightmare would've been getting caught by Hercules himself. He could handle a trainee, but the real deal...? Hm. He didn't wanna find out.

On his way through, he took a peek into the Coliseum. Hercules was there with that kid he ran past earlier... Probably another hero trainee or something. ...What had he been doing in the Underworld, though? Kinda weird, but whatever.

Wait, he had a keyblade...

Was that the kid he was supposed to be after?!

Well, he couldn't approach him while Hercules was around. The dog and duck were probably gonna be a problem, too. He was just going to have to leave him. He could track him down again after he used the Olympus Stone to take care of turning Hades into a Heartless.

One thing was for sure, though...

He didn't look like Roxas.

Demyx knew that he couldn't stand there watching him forever, but the longer he watched that kid swing around Roxas's keyblade, the weirder he felt. He was sure he'd never met him before, but...

Something was still familiar. It was like déjà vu.

Had something like that... happened before?

Friends becoming unfamiliar... Losing control of themselves...

Betraying each other...

“Wait for me. I'll free you, Roxas.”

He slipped away and returned to the entrance. There were still Coliseum-goers outside, either chatting before heading home or waiting around for another match to begin. Demyx couldn't say he was familiar with the schedule. A few people looked at him, but thankfully didn't seem to think he was interesting enough to warrant suspicion. Out of the corner of his eyes, however, he noticed someone coming toward him.

Demyx recognized him, but he couldn't remember his name. It was the little goat-man who trained Hercules. He remembered watching their training session with Roxas. He was a strict, no-nonsense kind of dude. That made Demyx nervous...

He promptly went on the move, trying to lose him in the crowd of people, but, at his size, it seemed like the small man actually had an easier time weaving through the people than he did. By the time Demyx had made it away from the crowd, the little goat-man was already there on the other side, standing right in front of him.

Damn... He was looking right at him!

In a last-ditch effort to avoid the situation, Demyx kept going and tried to walk around him like he hadn't noticed him.

“Hey! Hold on a minute!”

Demyx froze.

He cursed himself for freezing. Seriously, he should've just kept going and acted like he thought he was talking to somebody else!

Before he turned around, he told himself to be calm and eliminated the nervous look on his face. “Y-yeah...? You need something...?” _He didn't sound confident enough! He was going to know that he was the thief for sure!_

“Yeah...” He took a measured step toward him, his eyes narrowed in a careful, discerning expression. “You've got a look about you...”

“Is it, a, uh... suspicious look...?”

“Hmm...” He began circling Demyx, stroking the hair on his chin. Demyx's eyes followed him as he went around. The goat-man looked him up and down, from every angle, then finally nodded to himself when he came to a stop in front of him. “Y'see, Herc's got his hands full right now with them monsters courtesy of the ol' hothead. It's a bit of a problem, seein' as how he's the only real hero around here. Nothing but amateurs and wannabees besides.”

“Uh-huh...?”

“It seems like there's been some activity down there in the Underworld, and now-- Well, it just wouldn't be right to make Herc take care of everything by himself. The guy needs a break or else he's gonna run himself ragged.” With a grin, he thrust a proud thumb at his chest. “The name's Philoctetes. 'Phil' to you.”

So...

Was he suspicious of him or not?

Demyx squinted, confused.

“Cool. So, uh... Can I go? I'm not sure where you're going with this.”

The man trotted up to him and slapped him playfully on the knee. “Come on, kid! No need to be so humble! I'm sayin' you've got _the look!_ You've got what it takes to be Herc's number two! I've been at this a long time, so I know a hero when I see one.”

Well.

That wasn't what he'd expected.

He was trying to recruit him, too...?

He was...

Getting really tired of that world.

Its obsession with heroes.

“Number two...? Don't insult me.”

“What the--?” Dancers rose to defend their master and immediately rushed forward to push Phil back. He tripped over his own hooves in his haste to back away and fell on his rear. Frantically, he looked from one Dancer to another as they swarmed around him, forming an inescapable barrier between him and Demyx. “Are... Are these Heartless?”

“Don't compare us to those filthy things,” Demyx spat with a disgusted sneer.

He looked up and smiled at the people who were starting to stare at them.

He looked down and smiled at Phil, too.

“Well, wouldja look at the time?” he said, pushing back his sleeve to look at a watch he wasn't wearing. “It's time for me to go o'clock. Buh-bye~!”

And with that, he turned and dashed away.

As he ran, it felt like he was leaving all of his unpleasant feelings behind him. Maybe it was because he was a Nobody...? His resentment and disdain... It all slid right off of him like rain and disappeared without leaving a single spot on his mind.

By the time he reached the Underworld, he couldn't remember being angry. He didn't even know what that was like. His chest felt light, his spirit unencumbered.

“Wait!”

Demyx sighed and reluctantly turned around to see Phil hobbling down the stairs between Olympus and the Underworld. His Dancers kept him busy for a while, but Phil had apparently managed to get away somehow. Kind of impressive for someone who looked so small and awkward. Demyx supposed he should've known better than to judge his ability based on his appearance.

“L... Listen... I just... wanna talk,” Phil gasped, holding his chest. He looked around for a moment as he caught his breath. “...What brings you to the Underworld? You aren't working for Hades, are you...?”

Demyx laughed. “Work for him? Ahaha! Nahhh. I'm here to defeat him.”

Phil just stared at him for a moment. “...You're here to _defeat Hades?_ Then what were you doin' attackin' me!”

Uhh... He couldn't exactly tell him about how he stole the Olympus Stone... And if he let Phil think about it for too long, he'd realize that he couldn't fight Hades without it... And then he'd start to connect the dots...

“I'm, uh, not really at liberty to talk about it... Let's just say, I'm not your enemy unless you make me your enemy.”

“Listen, kid... I'm getting' on my hands and knees here.” Like he said, he got down on all fours and lowered his head to the dirty ground. “If you're already on your way to fight Hades, then you're already halfway to helpin' us. I'm beggin' ya to give Herc your help. If you don't like playin' second fiddle, then that's fine! You don't gotta think of yourself as second to nobody. We just need another hero!”

“What's in it for me?”

Phil raised his head and stared at him, incredulous.

“Huh? What kind of question is that?”

Demyx crouched in front of the prostrated Phil and looked at him with a smile as smooth and stable as the sea on a day of fair weather. There wasn't a single ripple in his demeanor.

“I'm kinda in the middle of something here – it's just by coincidence that my objective happens to align with your interests. If I break from my work to help your hero, I'll be in hot water.” His smile broadened as his brows tilted and turned his expression to one of derision. “Did you think I was supposed to help some stranger for free? Out of the goodness of my heart?”

He was already plenty annoyed by the fact that he had to be there at all when he would've _much_ rather been resting and relaxing in the quiet of the castle. He was tired of expectations. He was tired of people wanting things from him. Unless that goat had something good to offer him, he was just wasting time of his that could've been spent with his head in a pillow.

Unsteadily, Phil returned to his hooves and puffed up his chest, taking a bold step toward Demyx.

“Y-... You call yourself a hero with that kind of attitude?!”

“No. I never did. And I'm not sure what gave you that impression.”

Phil looked taken aback by his words. Sad, maybe.

Demyx wasn't sure. He couldn't readily recall what that feeling was like.

Looking away, Demyx put his hands on his knees and pushed himself up, too. “Well, if you don't have anything you can convince me with, then I'm afraid I gotta be on my way...”

He didn't mind letting Phil have one more chance. What if he _did_ have something he could bribe him with? He didn't want to receive another lecture from Saïx for slacking, but there could've been something that would've made it worth it.

Unfortunately, just by taking a glance at Phil's face, he could tell that the time for negotiations was over.

“I don't get it... For someone like you to act so selfish and miserable...!” He clenched his fists and stamped his hoof. “What's wrong with doing things out of the kindness of your heart?! Isn't it enough to see the smiles of the people you saved?!”

“What the hell do _you_ know?!”

Demyx lifted his leg and brought the back of his heel down on Phil, sending him flying across the uneven ground. Phil tumbled over the rocks and rolled over into a puddle of disgusting water. He groaned and tried to get up, but he immediately sunk back down, his strength depleted.

“That hero of yours is having a hard time, isn't he? How long do you expect him to keep going? Even if you find someone else to help him, when will his job be done?” He didn't wait for a response. If that stupid goat couldn't make it worth his while, then he was finished listening. “I can't do it! I give up! I quit! Those are my favorite words! How long is it going to be before he starts saying those things? Will you call him a bad hero then, too?!”

With his head weakly raised, Phil looked at him in dumbfounded silence.

In the blink of an eye, Demyx's anger was sent to oblivion.

He smiled apologetically.

“I'm just a lazy, useless guy who isn't good for anything. Find somebody else, okay~?”

Finally, he could get back to work. The sooner he finished, the better.

At the junction, he curiously looked left and right. Hades had been down toward the depths before, but Demyx could sense his presence in the other direction for some reason. Intense blue flames blocked the path, but that was no problem for him. He summoned his sitar and played a few notes to soak the path and put the fire out.

As he headed down that way, for a second, he wondered if he was getting himself wrapped up in something without realizing... It really was just a coincidence that his mission happened to intersect with whatever else was going on, though, right? He wasn't there to help anybody besides Roxas...

But...

He did like the thought of seeing everyone's smiles.

If everyone spent their time laughing and having fun instead of fighting...

If all the unpleasant things and bad feelings disappeared...

Then nobody would even need heroes.

That thought made Demyx smile.

A world that followed his rhythm would be the best kind of world!


End file.
